Authorisation process for CCGs

The DH has sent a letter and a set of slides describing the authorisation process to primary care cluster chief executives and local authority chief executives.

CCGs are due to come into statutory form from April 2013 and will need to be formally authorised. Local government and their partners in health and wellbeing boards have an important role in the process.

Commissioning support services: outcome of checkpoint 2

The NHS Commissioning Board Authority has published a report about the outcome of the second stage in the business review process for commissioning support services (CSSs), known as checkpoint 2.

Twenty five regional NHS commissioning support services and the nationwide NHS Communications and Engagement Service submitted outline business plans.

Draft bill to modernise adult care and support in England included in Queen's speech

The Queen's speech included a draft bill to modernise adult care and support in England, setting out what support people could expect from government and what action the government would take to help people plan, prepare and make informed choices about their care.

Better working between health and social care services

This briefing from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) gives those who provide and use social care services an overview of the research evidence for joint and integrated working.

The briefing looks at three broad themes which are used to organise the factors that support or hinder joint or integrated working: organisational issues; cultural and professional issues; and contextual issues.

Outcomes strategy for COPD and asthma

Improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease is a key priority for the NHS. A companion document that sets out 45 actions for the NHS has been published to support the Outcomes Strategy for COPD and Asthma, published last July.

The document sets out 45 actions to help medical professionals, commissioners and service managers to deliver across the five domains in the NHS Outcomes Framework for people with COPD and asthma, to reduce mortality, improve quality of life, help people recover from episodes of ill health, deliver a positive patient experience and avoid harm.

Transforming social care for the poorest older people

This report urges that steps should be taken to change the social care system for Britain's neediest old people in advance of the government's response to the Dilnot inquiry.

Commissioning Excellence May issue

The latest issue announces the appointment of former clinical director of primary care, David Colin Thomé, as chair of PCC. It also looks at the role of medicines management in CCG authorisation plans, good practice in patient and public engagement, virtual diabetes clinics and the danger that commissioning expertise may get lost in the transition to the new system.

Commissioning Support Bulletin, 14 May 2012

NHS Commissioning Board Authority has published a special edition of the Commissioning Support Bulletin. It covers the outcome of checkpoint 2, part of the process for assessing the viability of commissioning support services.

No integrated commissioning, no integrated care

Integrated care can improve the experience of patients and reduce the cost of delivering high quality care. Neither of these benefits is possible without an integrated commissioning process.

This event will challenge clinical commissioning groups, PCTs, SHAs and local authority representatives to achieve the very best care for their population by more effective collaboration at every stage of the commissioning process. Learn from policy makers, experts and organisations that have done it.

Supported by the Department of Health, the event on 11 July in London is for CCG leaders and managers, medical directors, planned and urgent care leads, service redesign managers and patient engagement leads.

Three more smart guides to engagement

Three new slim volumes in the Smart Guides to Engagement series are out this week. Seven of a planned series of 10 guides have now been published with the aim of giving CCGs easily digestible practical tips on how to tackle different aspects of patient and public engagement. The new guides are:

• Community Development - Improving Population Health
• Listening, Learning and Responding
• Practices and Patient Engagement

The guides have been written and edited by some of the country's leading PPE practitioners and advocates.

Clinician and finance managers' engagement

This survey of clinicians involved in commissioning seeks to identify the opportunities and obstacles to better engagement with finance colleagues in planning services and redesigning pathways. If you are a GP or other primary care clinician please give us a few minutes of your time and take the survey.

Sustainable health and social care: a briefing for commissioners

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has produced a briefing which provides a summary guide to sustainability for busy CCG commissioners and health and wellbeing board members.

It sets out the key policy and operational drivers for a sustainable development approach to health and social care design and delivery. This includes specific detail regarding climate change and other environmental issues, but also covers social and economic sustainability.

Payment by results: information for clinical commissioners

Payment by Results (PbR) is the payment system in England under which commissioners pay healthcare providers for each patient seen or treated. Activity covered by PbR tariffs and currencies covers an increasing proportion of commissioner spend on acute healthcare.

These documents provide information to support the operation of PbR in 2012/13.

Falls prevention: new approaches to integrated falls prevention services

This briefing is intended to help the NHS and local government think about new approaches to the commissioning and provision of comprehensive, integrated falls prevention services. It shows that a focus on prevention and early intervention through joint working has benefits for the whole health and social care system, and that not taking action may soon become unaffordable.

Practice management support from PCC

PCC is developing new services for general practices including e-learning, workshops and briefings. It can also help practices review skill mix, access, patient involvement, partnership agreements and identification of opportunities for federated services. PCC uses facilitated development techniques to support practices in finding their own solutions.

PCC is working with groups of practices to develop the programme and pilot new products in return for complimentary access to our events, e-learning and subscriber-only services.

To take part in the programme, please contact peter.bullivant@pcc.nhs.uk.

GMS and QOF changes 2012/13

PCC has received numerous enquires about changes to the GMS contract for 2012/13, which are covered in our briefings on changes to GMS and changes to QOF.

QOF read codes v22 updated

PCC has published an update on changes to the QOF read codes for v22.

The changes have been made to reflect that the code cluster in the business rules for AF7 include dabigatran.

The updates were provided by Dr Dave Jeffery of Herefordshire PCT.

CQC registration: what you need to know

From July 2012, most primary medical services providers will be invited to apply for registration with the Care Quality Commission and all providers will need to be registered by April 2013. The BMA has published guidance about the registration process to help GPs determine whether they are compliant with the CQC's essential standards, and to explain what will happen once providers are registered.

Drug tariff simplification - July 2012

The Department of Health (DH) has released preliminary information concerning stage 2 of the drug tariff simplification process which includes, among other things, changes to the way out of pocket expenses are dealt with. The changes are due to be implemented in July 2012.

APPG publishes report into medicines shortages

The All Party Pharmacy Group has published the report of its 2011 inquiry into medicines shortages. The inquiry called for all stakeholders in the medicines supply chain including pharmacy bodies, manufacturers, wholesalers and government departments to provide both written and verbal evidence.

Direct access

The GDC would like you to hear your views on whether patients should be allowed to see different types of dental professionals without going to a dentist first.

Vision UK 2012 conference

Health minister Lord Howe will join experts in eye health, sight loss and social care at the Vision UK 2012 conference in London on 12 June.

See the PCC website for full details of events.